Healing the sufferings of people : Interview with Dr. Raju Vaishya

Dr. (Prof.) Raju Vaishya , a surgeon of international repute, is best known for his swift surgical skills in the field of Orthopedic & Joint Replacement. He has been working at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi as a Professor and Senior consultant for the last 20 years having total working experience of over 35 years. He is the founder president of Arthritis Care Foundation. Dr. Raju has an outstanding academic career throught. He did his basic medical education MBBS and MS in Gwalior ,India, and subsequent higher super specialty training and education (M Ch and FRCS) in the United Kingdom. Apart from his distinguished clinical work in the field of arthroscopic and joint replacement surgery, he is well known for his academic contributions. He has more than 150 published articles in various International and national peerreviewed medical journals and has been regularly invited to give lectures, chairing sessions,etc. in Orthopaedic conferences around the world. He has been awarded for the best paper publication on numerous occasions by Delhi Orthopedic Association and Apollo Hospitals. His work was recognized in the Limca book of records in 2012, 2013 & 2015 for doing bilateral Total Knee Replacement in 93 years old gentleman, bilateral Total Knee Replacement in the oldest couple in a single sitting, ACL reconstruction on oldest man. Dr. Raju talks to Health Spectrum about his success story of professional practices.

“Corporatization should be taken as a blessing and boon for the Indians. A lot of new technologies have been transferred here, as a result highly professionals retained and returned back in our country. Instead of brain drain it has become a brain gain (a reverse trend),” Dr. Raju Vaishy

Q. As a successful doctor, what is the secret of your success?

Ans. Passion, dedication and honesty towards the profession.

Q. How do you take your career as a doctor?

Ans. It is a very noble profession and gives us the opportunity to heal the sufferings of people.

Q. What are the challenges as a healthcare provider?

Ans.Need to understand the patient’s problem, expectations and provide an amicable solution, holistically.

Q. According to you, What is the most important aspect of the healthcare to be focused?

Ans.Lot of emphasis needs to given for preventive medicine than the curative therapy, as ‘prevention is always better than cure’.

Q. What are the steps Government should initiate to provide quality healthcare to the masses?

Ans. National programs to improve the sanitation, to provide clean and safer water, basic education to children about the health, safer roads and working environment for workers and laborers. Government should also provide the healthcare facilities within easy reach to all the population across India.

Q. What are the reasons that the patients are not willing to visit private healthcare centres?

Ans. The patients have problems of searching doctors of their choice. They are equally not interested to visit the government hospitals. In government hospitals patients mostly do not get adequate and prompt care as per their expectations. Therefore, they look for private hospitals. In India, private sector has contributed almost 50% to healthcare. Public, private partnership is the need of the hour in the healthcare sector.

Q. What are the changes you see in the field of Health Care?

Ans. There is a sea change as far as patients’ awareness is concerned. They have various options like google search machine etc. of searching doctors and gaining some knowledge before coming to doctors. Things are changing very fast.

Q. Usually, doctors have more or less hectic schedule of clinical activities, how do you balance between your work and family?

Ans. It is often very difficult to keep a strict balance between the professional work and the family commitments, as a doctor. But an efficient time management can help in coming over this challenge.

Q. What are your hobbies? How do you find times for those?

Ans. I like sports like playing Lawn tennis, Table tennis, Swimming and watching Cricket. Medical research and publication are other passions and hobbies for me.

Q. Had you not been doctor, what would you have been?

Ans. Scientist.

Q. What makes you happy or satisfied?

Ans. Relieving peoples’ sufferings to the best of my abilities and a happy & supportive family.

Q. How do you see yourself after 10 years from now?

Ans. Would love to retire from an active clinical practice, but would provide guidance, teaching and social work for the younger doctors and general public.

Q. Any event in your life, professional or personal which has influenced you most?

Ans. Meeting, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo group of hospitals in London (in 1989), when I was working in UK. He showed a glimpse of hope and light of better healthcare opportunity in India. This helped me in returning back home to serve the needy people of India. And there has been no looking back since then.

Q. What is your opinion so far corporatization is concerned?

Ans. Corporatization should be taken as a blessing and boon for the Indians. A lot of new technologies have been transferred here, as a result highly professionals retained and returned back in our country. Instead of brain drain it has become a brain gain (a reverse trend).

Q. What’s about medical tourism?

Ans. It is a good concept and a successful one. Patients from other countries visit India and also take treatment which has been cheaper in comparison to other developing countries. It has a lot of potential to boost the healthcare business. India is on move, many things will be happening in years to come in the health care sector.